Indonesian authorities raised the alert level for Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on Java island, warning that it might erupt again after a rapid eruption earlier this month killed 48 people and left 36 missing in towns buried under layers of mud.
The geological agency of Indonesia said on Saturday that it had detected increasing activity that could result in an avalanche of lava and searing gas, similar to the Decmber 4 eruption, which was preceded by heavy monsoon rains that partially collapsed a lava dome on the 3,676-meter (12,060-foot) mountain.
According to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, some 8 million cubic metres (282 million cubic feet) of sand from the volcano’s crater choked the Besuk Kobokan River, which is in the course of the lava flow.
Post Your Comments